Glenmore-Kiltumper scheme falls foul of Clár funding

RESIDENTS in Glenmore and Kiltumper (Kilmihil) are unlikely to have their group water scheme financed in the near future due to an absence of Clár funding for water and sewerage schemes. This is despite the fact that the scheme has gone to tender and a contractor has been appointed.
Clare County Council submitted an application for a Clár grant on December 19, 2008.
However, in reply to Clare County Council, Clár said that the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government had suspended funding for Clár water and sewerage schemes on August 8, 2008.
It later transpired, in a letter to Clare County Council, from the Department of the Environment, that a modified Clár group water scheme could be introduced in Clare in 2009. Glenmore – Kiltumper met the criteria and a submission was again sent to Clár on November 11, 2009.
Last April, however, Clare County Council received its allocation from the Department of the Environment and this was not enough to even fund 2009 schemes. Therefore, any prospective group water schemes for 2010 were shelved.
“This group scheme is going on the last four years and it’s their third attempt to get this scheme up and running. They had to hand back money twice before and now they have money collected and there doesn’t seem to be any movement in it,” Councillor Bill Chambers told last weeks Kilrush Electoral Area meeting.
“They’re caught between the Department of the Environment and Clár funding. It’s being pushed from one to the other and I don’t know where it’s going to be finished. They said that it’s going to be included in 2011 and they’re asking that it be re-tendered. What I’m asking is, if it is retendered, can there be a guarantee given that when the Department of the Environment funding will come to Clare County Council in 2011 that Glenmore – Kiltumper will be included? There’s no point in retendering again if they haven’t a cast-iron guarantee that the scheme can go ahead in 2011,” Councillor Chambers pointed out.
In reply, Clare County Council said that progress was totally dependent upon Clár funding, which is currently suspended.
“The scheme could be retendered to see if the cost of construction has reduced since the initial tender, which may make it a more financially viable project. Any cost of retendering would have to be borne by the group scheme until department funding has been approved,” Cyril Feeney stated on behalf of Clare County Council.
Councillor PJ Kelly said that the scheme was “caught between Kilmaley, Lissycasey and the new Cahermurphy scheme.”
He expressed surprise that the Glenmore – Kiltumper scheme had not been linked with the nearby Cahermurphy scheme, which was completed last year.
“That was an opportunity lost. I don’t know what the on-the-ground reasons were. As it stands at the moment, they’re in an island. It’s a difficult situation and I think they feel isolated,” Councillor Kelly said.